Automatic section-block system for railroads



April 3, 1928. 1,665,008

- H. ARNDT AUTOMATIC SECTION BLOCK SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Fi led sent. 9. 1925 //j v/" 15; 23 2 l' mam WW Patented Apr. 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMANN A'RNDT, E BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNTOR TO SIEMENS HALSKE, AK- TI'ENGESELLSGHAFT, OF SIEMENSSTADI', GERMANY, A CORPORATION OF GERMANY.

, AUTOMATIC SECTION-BLOCK SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS.

Application filed September 9, 1325, Serial No. 55,380, and in Germany September so, 1924.

My inventionrelates to an automatic block signal system for railroads and particularly to systems employing light signals in which the operation of the signals takes place by means of alternating current relays which are controlled by the train itself. These relays are so'designed that they receive their current partly from the rails of the respective block section" and partly across an'auxiliary phase, the flow of'current being made dependent upon the state of the signalsv of the block sectiontollowing next in the direction of travel. When the' track is traversed by the train the track phase is short circuited through the train axles, the armature of the relay drops err and operates contacts by which the circuit leading to the go ahead lamps is interrupted and the cir- "cuit leading to the stop lamps is closed.

hen the train has left the block section 9 and has reached the next following block section which is insulated from the preceding one in any suitable manner, the relay of the block section 9 which the train has left receives current through the track phase. This current does, however, not suffice to attract the armature of the relay, as the relay is so designed that it can only be actuated, it current is simultaneously present in the track phase and the auxiliary phase.

It besides the stop lamps special track locks are also provided at the joint between two block sections which automatically prevent the overrunning of a stop signal, the development of the current through the stop lamps or the development of the current through the auxiliary phase may also be made dependent upon the closing of a contact which is controlled by the track lock itself. By the term track look I mean to imply contrivances such levers, detents, raised portions, or the like. mounted adjacent to the track and actuated by the herein described initial blocking operation in any suitable manner, such that, in case the signal is set against the train, the contrivance is moved into such a position that it operates an element, for instance a lever, mounted on the train itself and by which in turn the brake mechanism brought into action and may also be employed.

the power supply shut oil at the same time. Of course instead of such a mechanically operating track lock, inductive means may be mounted beside the track which are energized by the blocking current and which inductively bring about the power shut off and the setting of the brakes. All of these means are well known in the art and their detail construction is immaterial for the 'descrip: tion of the present invention.

According to my invention the stop lamps of a block section are connected in series with the'auxiliary phase of the relay of the preceding block section. In this manner the same object is attained without the employment of auxiliary devices, such as relays, or other suitablejmeans equivalent in their action.

In the drawing an embodiment of my invention is illustrated diagrammatically.

Referring to the drawing 1 is the relay for the block section and Z the relay for the block section 9. To each relay appertain the corresponding stop lamps 3 and go ahead lamps a and the contacts 5, 6 and 7 operated by the armature. 8 is the block line which connects the stop lamps of the block section 10 with the auxiliary phase of the rear relay 2 of the block section 9. 1 1 designates the earth line for which a special insulated line 12 is the track lock for the block section 10 with the track lock contact 13 which is connected in series with the corresponding stop lamps 3 and .the auxiliary phase of the rear relay 2. l t designates the track lock for the block section 9 with the contact 15 appertaining thereto. 16' indicates the transformer which supplies the current across the block section 9 to the track phase 17 of the relay 2. 18 is the corresponding transformer for the preceding blocl; section. '19 and 20 designate the transformers which supply the current for the respective lamps and the auxiliary phase of thcrespective relay. The transformers receive their current? from the common feed line 30. The figure represents the condition when the track is unoccupied. The relay 2 has attracted its armature and receives cure t fr m, h ansf rm ltfthroue'h block line 27, upper contact 5 and return'line 28;

The condition of the following section is corresponding. i i

When a train has reached the block section 9 in the direction of travel indicated, the tract: phase 17 of the relay 2 is short circuited across the train axles, the armature of the relay drops off and interrupts at the upper contacts 5 and 6 the circuit to the go ahead lamps 1 and the auxiliary phase 24- and connects by means of the lower contact 6 the stop lamps 3 through the contact 15 also reversed by the relay of the track lock 1 1 which is in the locking position, with the transformer 19, contact 15 being also reversed bythe relay 2. The current flows from the transformer 19through line 26, lower contact 6, line 29, stop lamps 3, line 31, track lock contact 15, line 32, auxiliary phase of the rear relay not illustrated in the drawing, earth line 11, line 21 back into the transformer 19. When the train enters the block section 10 with its front portion, the track phase 33 of the relay 1 is short circuited. The armature of the relay drops off and interrupts the circuit to the auxiliary phase 3% and the go-ahead lamps appertaining thereto, in the same manner as described with reference to relay 2. Simultaneouslythe tracklock 12 and thus the contact 13 is reversed. The current from the transformer 20 now flows throughline 35, the bottom relay contactfi, stop lamps 3, line 36, track lock contact 13, block line 8, bottom contact 7 of the relay 2, line 25, auxiliary phase 24, lines 23 and 22, earth line 11 and line 37 back to the transformer 20. According to the invention the stop lamps 3 of the block section 10 are thus connected in series with the auxiliary phase 2 1 of the rear relay 2 of the block section 9. The current in the auxiliary phase is, however, not sutlicicnt to impart to the relay 2 the necessary power for operating the armature so that the 7 stop lamps 3 of the block section 9 remain lighted so long as the block section 9 is occupied i. e. the track phase 17 is short circuited. As soon as the last axles. of the train have left the block section 9 the track phase 17 of the relay 2 receives again current from the transformer 16. The armature 17 of the relay is attracted and thus, as already described, the current'through the "stop lamps is interrupted. and led through the go ahead lamps. 7

By connecting the stop lamps of the block stop lamps of the block section 9. ever, as prescribed the track phase 17 and neeaooe lay and the train which has run into the block section 10 would be protected by the If, howthe auxiliary phase 24: are traversed by current after the train has left the block section 9 the armature of therelay 2 is attracted, opens the" circuit of the stop lamps, closes the go ahead circuit, releases the track lock 1 1 and simultaneously disconnects through the reversed contact 7 the auxiliary phase 24 from theblock line 8 and the transformer 20 and connects it with the transformer 19. Hereby the track signal of the block section 9 has become independent from the stop lamps of the sectionlO. i i

In order to render the lighting of the stop lamps independent of the track lock contacts, the arrangement mayaccordingv to the invention be made so that if the track lock should remain in the go ahead position but the relays should already be short circuited, the stoplamps receive current through an earth contact of the track lock. The stop current then flows from the line 35 through the stop lamps, line 36, contact 13, line 38, earth and line 37 hack to the transformer 20.

In order to make the lighting of the stop lamps also independentof the contact 7 of the rear relay 2, the stop lamps or at least one of them maybe grounded through a resistance so that on failure of the contact 7 at least one of the stop lamps will be lighted. The current then flows from the transformer 20 through line35, stoplamp 39, resistance 4:0, earth and return line 37 back to the transformer 20. r 2

Various modifications maybe made in my invention and I desirethat only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art or are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

, I claim as my invention 1. In a block signal system, in combination, a railroad track subdivided into individual block sections by insulating joints,

a signalling device provided at the beginning of each ofisaid sections and consisting V has tll oppcd btl is connected in series with the stop lamps of the preceding block section, contacts upon the armature of said relay adapted to light up the stop and go ahead lamps respectively by their make and break, a source of alternating current adapted to supply the current for operating said relay and said signal lamps, line conductors adapted to connect said source oi current with the two phases of the relay and the signal lamps, and line conductors between said sig nal lamps and said relay contacts.

2. In a block signal system, in combina tion, a railroad track subdivided into individual block sections by insulating joints, a signalling device provided at the beginning of each of said sections and consisting of stop lamps and go ahead lamps, a relay for controlling the circuits to said lamps and adapted to receive current on the one hand through the rails of the block section and on the other hand from an auxiliary phase which when the armature of said relay has dropped off is connected in series with the stop lamps of the preceding block section, contacts upon the armature of said relay adapted to light up the stop and go ahead lamps respectively by their make and break, a source of alternating current adapted to supply the current for operating said relay and said signal lamps, line conductors adapted to connect said source of current with the two phases of the relay and the signal lamps, line conductors between said signal lamps and said relay contacts and a contact at said relay which after the attraction of the armature disconnects the auxiliary phase from the stop lamps of the following block section and connects them with the source of current of the block section appertaining thereto.

3. In a block signal system, in combination, a railroad track subdivided into individual block sections by insulating joints, a signalling device provided at the beginning of each of said sections and consisting of stop lamps and go ahead lamps, a relay for controlling the circuits to said lamps and adapted to receive current on the one hand through the rails of the block section and on the other hand from an auxiliary phase which when the armature of said relay has dropped off is connected in series with the stop lamps of the preceding block section, contacts upon the armature of said relay adapted to light up the stop and go ahead lamps respectively by their make and break, a source of alternating current adapted to supply the current for operating said relay and said signal lamps, line conductors adapted to connect said source of current with the two phases of the relay and the signal lamps, line conductors between said signal lamps and said relay contacts, a contact at the said relay which after the armature has been attracted disconnects the auxiliary phase from the stop lamps 01 the following block section and connects it with the source of current of the block section appertaining thereto and a track look at the beginning of the block section adapted to close in its stop position by means of a contact, the current traversing the corresponding stop lamps and the auxiliary phase of.

the relay located in the rear.

4. In a block signal system, in combination, a railroad track subdivided into individual block sections by insulating joints, asignalling device provided at the beginning of each of said sections and consisting of stop lamps and go ahead lamps, a relay for controlling the circuits to said lamps and adapted to receive current on the one hand through the rails of the block section and on the other hand from an auxiliary phase which when the armature of said relay has dropped oti is connected in series with the stop lamps of the preceding block section, contacts upon the armature of said relay adapted to light up the stop and go ahead lamps respectively by theirmake and break, a source oi alternating current adapted to supply the current for operating said relay and said signal lamps,line conductors adapted to connect said source ot current with the two phases of the relay and the signal lamps,

line conductors between said signal lampsand said relay contacts,,a contact at the said relay which after the armature has been attracted disconnects the auxiliary phase from the stop lamps of the following block section and connects it with the source of current of the block section appertaining thereto, a track look at the beginning of the block section adapted to close in its stop position by means of a contact the current traversing the corresponding stop lamps and the auxiliary phase of the relay located in the rear and a grounding contact on the track lock which in the go ahead position of said lock is adapted to ground the stop lamps appertaining thereto.

5. In a block signal system, in combination, a railroad track subdivided into individual block sections by insulating joints, a signalling device provided at the beginning of each of said sections and consisting of stop lamps and go ahead lamps, a relay for controlling the circuits to said lamps and adapted to receive current on the one hand through the rails of the block section and on the other hand from an auxiliary phase which when the armature of saidrelay has dropped oit is connected in series with the stop lamps of the preceding block section, contacts upon the armature of said relay adapted to lightup the stop and go ahead lamps respectively by their make and break, a source of alternating current adapted to supply the current for operating said relay iso and said signal lamps, line conductors adaptphase from the stop lamps of the following ed to connect said source of current With the block section and connects it with the source two phases of the relay and the signal of current of the block section appertaining l0 lamps line conductors between said signal thereto and a grounding contact in the cir- 5 lamps and said relay contacts, a contact at cuit of one of said stop lamps.

the said relay Which after the armature In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. has been attracted disconnects the auxiliary HERMANN ARNDT, 

